Dairy effluent management: Disposal of waste or valuable nutrients?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Effluent may be a waste product generated on dairy farms, but it can be a valuable resource when disposed of correctly and in the right places.
Posts
Could compost tea be part of the solution?
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Compost tea, if used correctly, can help reduce the use of harmful pesticides through the introduction of beneficial microbes and at the same time bring nutrients that are essential for plant growth and soil functions.
Growing pasture with minimal nitrogen fertiliser
Reading Time: 3 minutes
How low have farmers been able to come with nitrogen fertiliser rates, while still maintaining optimal pasture growth?
Case study: Growing cheaper pastures
Reading Time: 6 minutes
The take-away challenge is for farmers to assess whether their fertiliser costs are decreasing per pasture produced. Are you growing cheaper pastures?
Why not compost?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Nothing should ever be viewed as “waste” on the farm. Organic waste can be converted into compost that helps improve the farms soil life and fertility.
Turning effluent from waste to benefit
Reading Time: 2 minutes
When dairy effluent is viewed as waste water, it is all about getting rid off it. However when it is viewed as beneficial water, it is all about the opportunity costs of the nutrients.
Thinking beyond your fence
Reading Time: 3 minutes
As a farmer, you can contribute negatively or positively towards the problem of freshwater pollution. If you want to make a positive contribution, what practices are you implementing to do so?
The “too much of a good thing” effect of nitrogen
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Nitrogen is a nutrient that is crucial for the optimal growth of plants. Its role in plant health may very well be unparalleled, but what happens when it becomes excessive in the soil? Is it “the more the better”, or rather a case of “too much of a good thing”?
Case study: The journey to sustainability
Reading Time: 9 minutes
The SWAN system is composed of soil, water, atmosphere and nutrient components. The best way to show how these integrated and interrelated measures reflect the journey of improving agricultural sustainability is to show a case study of a farm which has become more sustainable over the past five years.
Don’t expect miracle pastures from nitrogen alone
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Nitrogen alone cannot carry the responsibilities of other nutrients in the plant. That is why farmers need to have a balance of all essential plant nutrients in order to archive optimal growth.